Guide
Human answering service or voice agent: which fits your business?
Both answer the phone in your business name when you can't. They differ in who answers, the hours, the price and what happens after the call. We build voice agents, so keep that in mind. Even so, there are cases where a human call center fits better, and costs less, and we cover those too.
What a human answering service is
An outside call center whose agents answer calls in your business name, from a script you give them. In most plans the agent takes the caller’s details and what they need, and sends you a message by email or SMS. In some plans, sometimes for an extra fee, the center also transfers urgent calls to you or books meetings.
The price is monthly, by a bundle of minutes or calls. On the price lists of four call centers we checked, a plan of 100 to 120 agent minutes a month costs ₪259 to ₪389. At one of them, a minute beyond the plan costs ₪1.99.
What a voice agent is
Software that answers the phone by voice, in natural Hebrew and in your business name. It knows your services, hours, prices and procedures, and answers questions from that information only. When a caller asks for a person, or asks something the agent should not answer, the call comes to you. After every call you get a WhatsApp summary, and every call has a transcript.
Our voice agent starts at ₪1,800 a month with up to 300 call minutes, plus ₪4,500 setup. How it works.
The comparison, in one table
| What we compare | Human answering | Voice agent (ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | An agent at the call center, from a script | A voice agent, in your business name and wording you approve |
| Hours | Depends on the center: some answer around the clock, some close on Shabbat and holidays, and at some 24/7 costs more | Around the clock, including evenings, Shabbat and holidays, as you set it |
| What it knows | What is in the script | Your services, hours, prices and procedures |
| What happens on the call | Takes details and what the caller needs | Answers the questions, takes details and hands over to a person when needed |
| Booking appointments | Usually in the top plan or for an extra fee | Before we start we check whether your calendar connects. If not, the request is sent to you on WhatsApp |
| What you get after the call | A message by email or SMS, WhatsApp sometimes extra | A WhatsApp summary and a transcript of every call |
| Languages | Hebrew, and more at some centers, sometimes for an extra fee | Hebrew |
| Monthly price | ₪259 to ₪389 for 100 to 120 agent minutes, on the price lists we checked | From ₪1,800 with up to 300 minutes, plus ₪4,500 setup |
On price alone, a human call center is cheaper. The question is what you need to happen on the call.
When a human answering service fits better
- You mostly need someone to take a message, and not many calls come in. A call center plan will cost less.
- Sensitive calls, where the caller needs empathy and a person’s judgment.
- Complex sales, where every call is a negotiation.
- Many callers speak a language other than Hebrew, and the center offers it.
When a voice agent fits better
- Most calls repeat the same questions: hours, prices, location, appointments. The agent answers them on the spot, instead of only noting that someone will call back.
- Calls in the evening, on Shabbat and on holidays, when some call centers are closed.
- You want to know exactly what was said: every call has a transcript and a summary, not just a message.
- You want your business to sound the same on every call, in wording you approved.
You can have both
Many businesses don’t need to choose. The agent answers first when your team can’t, handles what repeats itself, and passes what needs a person to a person: you, your team, or the call center you already use.
When you read a call center’s price list, check
- How minutes are counted: by the second, or including the time the agent spends logging the call afterwards.
- When the center answers, and whether nights, Shabbat and holidays cost more.
- What costs extra: WhatsApp messages, call transfers, booking, more languages.
- What a minute beyond the plan costs.
- How long the commitment is, and how much notice you need to give to leave.
Ask a voice agent vendor the same questions. What to ask, and how to check whether it pays off, is in our pricing guide.
Sources
- FirstCall: telephone answering prices (plans, extra minute, per-second billing, hours)
- Synchroline: human answering prices (plans, booking in the top plan)
- Synchroline: terms of service (hours, how minutes are counted, commitment)
- VCall: human answering prices for businesses (plans, 24/7 service)
- Shidurit: price list (price per agent minute, 24/7 answering)
- Telekol: what a human telephone answering service costs (24/7 and extra languages affect the price)